Throughout my whole life, I’ve always loved classical music. I’ve played the piano since I was three, and still get excited when I start learning a new piece. Classical music is the epitome of beauty to me, and it is just as cathartic to listen to as it is to play. Classical music is analytical yet emotional, extremely complex yet beautifully simple. It can be a relaxing listening experience or a wild roller coaster. It is whatever you want it to be, and there seems to be a piece fitting for every mood or situation.
Not only is classical music pleasing to listen to, it shows the extent of human ability. To think of geniuses like Bach, Mozart or Beethoven, it seems like these composers were other-worldly in their abilities, like they were super-humans who had a brilliance that most of us could not comprehend. It seems like the intricacy of classical music just isn’t engaging to most people, but the truth is that classical music is the most human music we have.
Most of the music we listen to now is on machines. Most “composers” now write their music by typing on a keyboard, and the “musicians” are programs and softwares designed to create sound. This seems much more other-worldly than a symphony or a concerto. The coolest thing about classical music is that it is entirely human, from the person writing it to the groups of people playing it with the sensitivity that only a human could muster.
It seems like this style of music is forever over, and it will just be a time in entertainment that we look back on. This traditional style of music might seem like something we just learn about in school, or listen to in a Panera Bread. However, this is not the case at all. Classical music is booming now more than ever, you just have to know where to look.
To hear where virtuosic music has gone, just watch a movie. That’s right, film scores. Chances are that your average movie has a score that epitomizes many of the themes and ideas in a classical music piece. Think of the most famous film scores: Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Lord of the Rings, Titanic. All of these celebrated scores are classical, and people adore them the way they adore any other album or song.
Of course, with every great piece comes with a great composer behind that piece, and there are modern day Beethovens working behind the scenes at a sound-stage in Hollywood right now. John Williams, Hans Zimmer and the late James Horner are a few great examples. These composers are creating masterpieces that the public adores, and will pay money to listen to. It just happens to be at a movie theater instead of a concert hall.
As a lover of classical music myself, I have never been more excited about classical music than now. To me, we are living in a golden age for all art, and music is no exception. Stunning pieces of music are being written every day by modern day virtuosos, and in greater numbers now than ever before. We as audience members get to experience great films with an even greater score, with just as much brilliance as any other era of music. To be honest, I’m not sure why classical music migrated to the silver screen, but I am so glad it did.
